Trey Amos made the right kind of waves during the Washington Commanders offseason workout program.
Amos, regarded by some draft analysts as a first-round pick, was one of the players Washington considered taking at No. 29 overall. Adam Peters and the team's front office decided to draft offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. instead and took a gamble on Amos still being available when they were on the clock again with the 61st pick.
To their surprise, Amos was still there at the end of the second round. They were thrilled to get the Ole Miss cornerback, and so far, he has justified their excitement that he could be an immediate contributor in their secondary.
"He's looked really good," said defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons. "The thing about him that I'm most impressed with is his maturity; his ability to be able to grasp the playbook; his willingness to ask questions."
Amos certainly looks the part of an NFL cornerback with the track record to back it up. He used his 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame to lead his team with 13 pass breakups and earn a First Team All-SEC selection. He also has a history of preventing explosive plays, as he has allowed a sub-19% completion rate on throws traveling at least 20 air yards, according to Pro Football Focus.
That athleticism shone through during OTAs and minicamp -- he started one of the first OTA practices with an interception -- but his desire to learn is what has stood out to his coaches and teammates.
"Everybody's game is different, but you can still learn from it," Amos said. "Just keep on getting all the knowledge you can."
The summer can be a difficult time of the year for NFL rookies. On top of acclimating to the speed of the professional game, they must also learn their new playbooks, which are more complex than what they experienced at the college level. Many young players can be apprehensive about asking questions, Simmons said, but Amos has bucked that trend.
"He knows that he wants to be good," Simmons added. "He knows what it takes to be good. He comes from a really good program, and we're excited to have him."
Amos' coaches and teammates have been happy to answer his questions. He said he wants to "be a good team player and help the growth," and his teammates know that he'll be more useful if they satisfy his hunger for knowledge. But they have also noticed that he can hold his own without their help, too.
"His technique is there," cornerback Marshon Lattimore said when asked about Amos. "From what I can see...he looks complete. He's a rookie, and it's early, but throughout the season, I feel like he's going to keep that up and get better as the season goes."
The Commanders hope Amos can provide help on the perimeter -- an area where they struggled in 2025. Peters said Amos is an all-around player, but he and the front office feel he is best suited for playing on the outside.
Amos still needs to earn a spot in training camp, but if he can keep pairing his skill set with his newfound knowledge, he could prove why the Commanders were right to stick with him.
"It's the length and to be able to defend these contested passes," said head coach Dan Quinn. "So often when you're playing man-to-man or close matching and coverage, having that size and length to defend, the guys on the outside, that's one of the things that we really liked about Trey's game."
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